Corner Canyon
girls golf team made history a year ago by winning the school’s first (high
school sanctioned) state championship. They made history again on May 16 by
repeating as the 4A state champions.

“Honestly, it
was kind of almost unreal that we won it again,” said junior Makenna Kartchner
a few days after the euphoric celebrations.

Being a repeat
made it all the sweeter for junior Cristi Ciasca.

“To do it two
times in a row, it’s something that you don’t come by a lot so it’s great to be
able to have that experience,” she said. She later added, “That’s really
exciting being able to represent our school that way.”

Five girls
finished in the top 21, making them runaway winners by 17 points over closest
challenger Alta.

Even though the
Chargers won by double digits, it wasn’t without a few nerves on day two of the
tournament. After some uncharacteristic double and triple bogeys, head coach
Ryan Kartchner said the weight of expectations may have started to reach the
girls.

“(It) was a
little nerve racking more so than last year, but it was pretty exciting and
still fun for the girls. It was fun to see them in that situation,” said Ryan,
also the head pro at Hidden Valley Country Club and father to Makenna.

Junior Emma
Winfree, who finished tied for third, said she was nervous throughout both days,
including her even par round on day one.

“There’s always
a little bit of pressure, but (it’s about) just trying to keep calm and keep
doing as good as I can,” Winfree said.

May 16 also
doubled as Winfree’s birthday with her describing the championship as “a pretty
good birthday present.”

The school was
in full support mode with the athletic director, assistant principal and
principal — in addition to the students who were excused from school to come watch — all present for the
memorable day.

“A lot of people
came out, it had a different feel. It was a repeat for one, and everybody
wanted to see that happen,” Ryan said.

Target on their backs

It was mid-April
when the Chargers lost a region tournament to their friendly rivals at Alta. If
it wasn’t a turning point in their season, the six-stroke loss certainly poked
the bear.

“It just made us
want (the state title) even harder. It just pushed us even more and made us
work even harder,” Winfree said.

With Corner
Canyon taking state last year by a whopping 33 points, the team knew they had a
target on their backs coming into the
year, something they
relished.

“I always told
the girls it’s fun to be part of everyone else’s goals,” Ryan said.

But the
third-year head coach knew teams weren’t going to roll over and give them the
trophy.

“Even though we
knew we were still probably the favorites and still a really, really good team
going in, we needed to get better no matter what,” Ryan said.

What made the repeat possible

Every winning
team is the result of some lucrative concoction. For the Chargers girls golf
team, it was a combination of mental fortitude, personal improvement, coaching
and team chemistry.

In addition to
team practices, the girls had individual sessions with Ryan at Hidden Valley
where they could set goals and see what each could improve upon for tournament
play.

“They all have a
pretty good golf sense and golf mind,” he said of the players. “They have great
swings, but where they’ve improved the most this year is the short game and the
mental side.”

And, in a sport
like golf, the mental game is as crucial as the athletic game.

“It’s amazing
how you can have the golf game and the skill but if you don’t have that mental
strength as well then it’s hard for you to shoot good scores,” said Makenna,
who played the state tournament with a knee brace after hyperextending her knee
while cheerleading.

The team is
notorious for their bus rides filled with dancing and rapping to old-school hip-hop.
Team sleepovers and team dinners are common throughout the season to help
enhance that crucial team chemistry.

“It all just
comes so naturally,” Winfree said of the camaraderie. “We all just love each
other, want the best for each other, support each other, are proud of each
other when we do good.”

It appears the
team has struck the sweet spot between focused preparation and rambunctious
enjoyment.

“We take it
seriously on the course, but off the course at practices we joke around and try
to get everyone laughing. It’s just super fun,” Makenna said. That camaraderie
extends beyond the Chargers golf team as well.

The golf team
shares its bus rides with Alta, engaging in multiple friendly matches between
them, and friendships have blossomed.

“Those girls are
honestly some of the best girls I’ve ever met. They’re our biggest competition
but they’re also our favorite girls to play with, to talk to,” Makenna said.

The connection
even includes a group text between the teams titled “Alta Canyon” where they
send funny pictures and discuss school and boys.

After the state
tournament, the champs and runners-up took pictures with each other on the 18th
green.

“Girls golf is
such a small world … it’s way fun, it’s in a good spot at least in this part of
the valley,” Ryan said.

Brewing dynasty

The Chargers won
their second state title with four juniors and two sophomores, meaning the core
of this legend-building team returns next year for a potential three-peat. It begs
the question, is a girls golf dynasty forming at Corner Canyon?

“I’ve joked that
we have a little bit of a UConn womens basketball-like dynasty brewing here. We’re
obviously a long ways down the road from something like that,” Ryan said. “Obviously,
we’ll be on the top of everyone’s lists going in but we’ll get better.”

Ciasca said
they’re working hard to start that dynasty.

“Next year we
have a good shot, and we have a lot of girls who have the drive that want to
win the championship. I think that (drive) will be good to introduce to the new
players to carry it on later after our graduating class,” she said.

Beginning the
2016 season with six girls, the team has blossomed to 14, with success
begetting more interest.

Winning state
despite the girls feeling like they didn’t play their best — various players
hitting triple and double bogeys on the final day — may not bode well for those
chasing the Chargers.

“It shows our
hard work and how much it pays off and it shows how great our coaching staff is
and how much they do for us; how much we support each other in our team
chemistry being so good. I think it all plays a big part,” Winfree said.

“We’re just
really proud of ourselves,” Winfree continued. “We knew that we could do it all
along but just actually knowing now makes it that much better. We’re hoping to
do it for a third time next year and we’re starting to prepare for that already.”

And with coaches
like Ryan and assistant Lexi Gagon, the girls feel like they’re in good hands.

“We love both of
the coaches so much and they make such a great impact on our game and how we
do,” Winfree said. “We couldn’t do it without them.”